Mazie Hirono

Mazie Hirono
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Hawaiʻi's 2nd district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 4, 2007
Preceded by	Ed Case
Personal details
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Leighton Kim Oshima
Residence	Honolulu, Hawaii
Alma mater	University of Hawaii at Manoa, Georgetown University
Occupation	attorney

Mazie Keiko Hirono (広野 慶子, Hirono Keiko, born November 3, 1947) is an American politician. She was the second Asian immigrant elected lieutenant governor of a state of the United States. A lifelong Democrat, she ran against Linda Lingle for Governor of Hawaiʻi in 2002, one of the few gubernatorial races in United States history where two major parties nominated women to challenge each other. Hirono is currently the congresswoman for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district. She considers herself a non-practicing Jodo Shinshu Buddhist, and is often cited with Hank Johnson (D-Georgia), as the first Buddhist to serve in the United States Congress. She is the third woman to be elected to Congress from the state of Hawaiʻi.

Early years

Hirono was born in Fukushima, Japan in 1947. In 1955, Hirono's mother escaped an abusive marriage by emigrating to the United States with her children. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, Hirono attended Kaʻahumanu Elementary and Koko Head Elementary Schools. She later graduated from Kaimukī High School, which at the time of her attendance had a predominantly Japanese American student body. Upon graduating from high school, Hirono enrolled at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa where, in 1970, she received B.A. in psychology. She left Hawaiʻi briefly to attend Georgetown University Law School. She was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and obtained her doctorate of jurisprudence in 1978. Hirono quickly returned to Honolulu where she practiced law.

Legislative career

From 1980 to 1994, Hirono served in the Hawaiʻi State Legislature serving her district in the House of Representatives. During her legislative tenure, she passed over 120 laws. She was honored by a coalition of leaseholders as Legislator of the Year in 1984. From 1987 to 1992, she was the chairman of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee.

Lieutenant Governor

File:2002hawaiidemocraticdebate.jpg

Ed Case, D. G. Anderson and Mazie Keiko Hirono debated each other on KHON, September 5, 2002, for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in one of the closest primary races in state history.

In 1994, she joined the ticket of incumbent Lieutenant Governor Benjamin J. Cayetano and was consequently elected to a historic administration led by the first Filipino American governor and first Japanese immigrant lieutenant governor. During her tenure as lieutenant governor, Hirono was also President of the National Commission on Teaching, America's Future as well as the Hawaiʻi Policy Group. She also spearheaded the first-in-the-nation comprehensive Pre-Plus program, a precursor to universal pre-school education in the United States.

Gubernatorial campaign of 2002

With her time as Lieutenant Governor coming to an end, Hirono formed a campaign structure as she set her sights on becoming the next Mayor of Honolulu in a 2002 special election to fill a vacancy to be created by Jeremy Harris' entry in the gubernatorial election. Hawaiʻi residents were shocked, considering his high polling numbers, when Harris abruptly dropped from the race for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.

Hirono maneuvered to gain the support of potential Harris voters in her challenge against former Hawaiʻi State House of Representatives Majority Leader Ed Case and former Republican Chairman D. G. Anderson for the Democratic ticket. Through the entire primary campaign season, Hirono and Case polled almost equally. Case appealed to Hawaiʻi residents that his campaign was one of government reform as opposed to Hirono whom Case alleged represented the "Old Boys' Network" of Democrats that had ruled over Hawaiʻi for forty years.

In one of the closest primary elections for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, Hirono beat Case. Hirono ran against former Mayor of Maui, Republican Linda Lingle in the general election. Lingle's campaign of reform called Agenda for New Beginnings appealed to voters and elected her governor.

2006 U.S. House election

On September 23, Hirono won the Democratic primary for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district, being vacated by Ed Case, in a 10-way race, garnering 21.8 percent of the vote, about 800 votes ahead of state Sen. Colleen Hanabusa, who had 21.1 percent. Former state Sen. Matt Matsunaga (14 percent) finished in third.

Hirono entered the race with significant name recognition as the only candidate who had held statewide office, and she raised more money than any other candidate in the race — in part because she was backed by EMILY's List, which supports Democratic women who favor abortion rights. Hirono also loaned her campaign $100,000.

2008 Sugar Bowl Travel

On June 7, 2008, the Honolulu Advertiser reported that Hirono and her husband Leighton Oshima had traveled to the 2008 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, LA, on a University of Hawaii charter. Previous lists released by the University redacted the names of 45 travelers, including Hirono.

Committee assignments

• Education and Labor Committee
  • Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education
  • Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness
• Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  • Subcommittee on Aviation
  • Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
  • Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment
• At-Large Whip

Electoral history

• 2006 Race for U.S. House of Representatives — 2nd Congressional District
  • Mazie Hirono (D), 61%
  • Bob Hogue (R), 39%
• 2002 Race for Governor
  • Linda Lingle (R), 52%
  • Mazie Hirono (D), 47%

External links

• U.S. Congresswoman Mazie Hirono official House site

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Profile at Vote Smart
• Profile at SourceWatch Congresspedia
• Hirono for Congress official campaign site
• Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi
• "The Immigrant Congresswoman" Dan Boylan, March 21, 2007, MidWeek cover story